


Left of Safe

by fleshlycherry



Category: Firefly
Genre: Alternate Reality, Community: serenitysummer, F/M, Ficlet Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-26
Updated: 2011-05-26
Packaged: 2017-10-19 19:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/204300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleshlycherry/pseuds/fleshlycherry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby's possibilities after <em>Safe</em>.</p><p>(The Simon/Ruby section takes place in the future so Ruby is NOT underage here.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Left of Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Livejournal's serenitysummer, Secondary Characters Week.

_i._

I had a quiet little family once. It was just us. My Mamma and little sister and me. I didn’t ever have a Papa, but Mamma always said that was no great loss. She said that it was nice just the three of us. Then Mamma went wrong though; she and my baby sister went away and I was alone.

That was a long time ago. A sad time. Simon says that it is important to remember the sad times though, so we can appreciate the gifts we have now.

Now I have aunts who brush my hair and show me how to make a proper, strong fist, cousins who run and play pretend and laugh, and uncles: the funny one, the scary one who always brings me peppermints from planet side, and the one who pretends he doesn’t like it when I call him Uncle Captain. I even have a grandpa now; he reads me stories every night from his book until I fall asleep. I have a big, loud, happy family now, a Papa included, and there is nothing in the ‘verse better than this.

 _ii._

The sound of the blow hung heavily in the air. Neither woman moved. Doralee stood as she had when Ruby first entered the school house, one cheek red under her dark skin. Ruby’s palm tingled with the shock of skin meeting skin, chest heaving from her righteous march from house to school.

Slowly she lowered her eyes from Doralee to her hand. She had not meant to hit her former guardian, not meant to let her anger take control. All these years, she had been lied to. To protect her, Simon had said. He said she didn’t need to know that someone she cared for so much would accuse an innocent girl of a crime with such a severe punishment.

“He’s finally told you the truth, then? That I was the one to name her for what she was.”

River was Ruby’s first friend, first confidant; the only person who knew what she meant when she would not speak. Even now words come to her with great difficulty, but River is one of the few words that Ruby will speak.

“Y-yes.”

Doralee brought one hand up to brush fingers over her abused cheek.

“Did it make you feel better?”

“Yes.”

 _iii._

Every Wednesday afternoon, they walk from ‘the Doctor’s house’ as everyone calls it, to the general store. They never have to pay for anything; payment in the form of what service you can give is the rule of thumb here. Simon mends broken bones and nurses children through fevers and in return, his family never lacks for food or clothes.

River would want chocolates and so would say: “Two chocolate rosettes, please.” Because no matter how the village sometimes rankled Simon, a place like this really was good for someone like his sister. Ruby would stare long and hard at the clear plastic cases, containing all shapes and sizes and colours of sugar confections. She would think of peppermints, and moments later, at River’s request, they would be in her hand.

With River beside her, Ruby need not speak. River will speak for her and Ruby is satisfied with her voice as Ruby’s own.

 _iv._   


She lived alone, in a tiny thatched cottage in the forest. She had never been one to conform, but in this, she was a traditionalist. She had stayed in the village for almost twelve years after they had left. River had told her that she wouldn’t be able to go with them, whispered it into her mind.

The villagers whispered about her, sometimes they did more than whisper. The village was cursed by witches, they said. The first witch came and through her wickedness changed Ruby. Made her a second witch, able like the first to read minds and cast spells. They wanted her chased out of the village. It was clear in their eyes, their words, their thoughts. The patron would never allow it though; he was, despite everything else, her grandfather.

She stayed long enough to watch them put him into the earth and then, pack slung over her back she walked into the forest. She sent a whispered goodbye to Doralee and did not turn to watch the poor woman fall to her knees, crossing herself as she started praying.

She likes it out here; she’s far enough from the village that she won’t hear their voices in her mind. Some days though, she gets lonely and walks until she can just scratch their surface.

 _It’s been too gorram dry this season, the crops are failing._

 _Gracie’s baby is due sometime in early winter._

 _Don’t wander off into the forest. If you do, Ruby the Witch will eat you up._

 _v. ___

Late at night, she runs her hands over the heated air just above his skin. She does not want to wake him when he sleeps peacefully like this, but the temptation is too great. She allows a hand to settle to his abdomen, tracing slowly up to his neck. When he wakes, his voice rumbles deeply in his chest as he whispers her name like a prayer.

Their bodies move together like liquid, she moans and he is lost in the sound of her voice.

Afterwards in their bed, when heartbeats have slowed and sweat cooled, she speaks. She speaks, in a voice gravelly and deep from disuse but one he promises is beautiful and desirable and good. She speaks to the one person who understands, of River who was kind to her and never asked for her voice in return.


End file.
